New Central Services department outlines facilities overhaul, $500,000 contingency for urgent capital repairs

The City of Annapolis Department of Central Services presented its inaugural FY26 priorities to the Finance Standing Committee on April 28, asking the council to treat the department as the city’s central manager for procurement, facilities, fleet and risk. The department requested $500,000 for capital-project advancement and $101,000 for a real-estate consultant to build a land-and-building inventory and a strategic plan for city property.

Director (name on file in department presentation) described a short-term plan to use the $500,000 fund for urgent capital projects that arise between budget cycles, giving examples such as an immediate need for HVAC replacement at the Department of Transportation building and a fire-alarm panel replacement. He said the $700,000 already budgeted for city facility improvements is already allocated to specific projects and the $500,000 contingency would allow the city to move quickly when unanticipated, time-sensitive failures occur.

Nut graf: Central Services presented a facility-condition assessment as the cornerstone of a multi-year deferred-maintenance strategy, saying the assessment will identify roofs, HVAC systems, sprinklers and other items by expected end-of-life and estimated replacement cost — enabling targeted multi-year budget requests rather than repeated emergency appropriations.

Key points from the presentation

- Facility-condition assessment and deferred-maintenance plan: The department will commission a vendor to produce a facility-condition assessment that enumerates systems, condition and replacement timing. Staff said the assessment will feed a 5–10 year plan to prioritize capital requests and reduce emergency procurements.

- $500,000 contingency for advancing capital projects: The contingency is intended to let the department award emergency procurements and begin design and construction quickly when critical systems fail (examples cited included Pitt Moyer Recreation Center rooftop units and DOT HVAC and fire-panel work). The department described an existing emergency-procurement procedure for genuinely urgent repairs.

- Fleet electrification and replacement budget pressures: Central Services reported purchasing 27 vehicles in FY25, 16 of which were electric — bringing the city fleet to about 43 EVs of roughly 425 vehicles (about 10% electric). Staff said EVs are costlier to procure and that replacement-budget limits constrain faster fleet turnover; fleet reported about 53 emergency roadside calls last year (well under a 250 annual benchmark), but vehicle age remains a concern.

- Centralizing purchasing and a proposed concierge role: The department intends to relocate central purchasing out of 161 (by September) and move central services staff and some finance staff to 25 Shaw Street when repairs are completed. A concierge position (currently supporting City Hall) will join the Central Services team to support facility visits, mail distribution and light facilities inspections.

- Staffing and vacancies: Facilities management reported three vacancies; fleet will receive a new analyst position for FY26 to improve “tech efficiency.” The department said current work-order output (about 550 completed this year) was achieved with roughly 2.5 full-time equivalent staff on hand in the facilities shop due to vacancies.

Committee questions and next steps

Aldermen pressed whether the $500,000 contingency will be sufficient, given multiple aging systems citywide; department staff replied the facility-condition assessment will produce clearer cost estimates and that the contingency is intended to bridge the most urgent needs. Acting City Manager Vicki Buckland emphasized that the condition assessment is essential to move from a reactive to a proactive capital strategy.

The department also described an intention to bring dispersed maintenance functions currently done by Public Works into Central Services over time, and to develop a real-estate inventory and strategic plan for city holdings. Staff agreed to provide contractors’ cost estimates and to return with a prioritized capital list once the assessment is complete.

Ending

Committee members said they support a contingency fund for emergency repairs and pressed for timely delivery of the condition assessment. Central Services asked for continued collaboration with council and the city manager as the department absorbs additional responsibilities and fills critical vacancies.